Author Topic: Bloom and other gurus...motherboard ques (Read 354 times)

LePaul · « **on:** January 28, 2002, 10:15:51 AM »

My motherboard is a no name brand, other than a model P2BXA. Found all kinds of links on Google and wouldn't you know it...it won't go higher than 550mhz. I maxed the RAM to 768mb and plopped a P3 800 in there since I have a spare one. The system reads its an 800mhz at post, but the board can't crank that high. The board has jumpers, but no way to go up up and away to anything more than 550mhz.

So, the CPU is having an easy life

I know I could get a motherboard that would support it, but I know just yanking and replacing the board to kick the legs out from under Windows 2000 Pro.

So, remind me if I'm wrong...trading the motherboard would be bad, unless I wanted to do a wipe & re-install?

I know, I know, just up and buy a new Alienware system or something...that's probably the easier way to go, then copy all my development software & data over to it.

Someday, I vow, I'll have more than 16fps!

bloom25 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2002, 11:18:57 AM »

If you switch the motherboard you will have to reinstall windows 2000.

Also, you can't just transfer your programs and data over to the new computer. You will have to manually reinstall all the programs that you want to use and then move your data files over.

Hajo · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2002, 02:02:21 PM »

I just replaced my MB and CPU!

I'm using win98SE.

It was completely painless.....when I fired up the first time windows looked for and installed the drivers. I had to insert the Windows disk only 1 time into the CD for the OS to read it.

All told, swapping out MB from an ASUSK7M to an ASUSM266, with 256DDR ram instead of 256 pc 100 ram and an Athlon XP1600 on new board from the old slot A Athlon 950,two different BIOS completely, it took me from down to up and running one and a half hours. It can be very easy to swap systems.

All I had to do was unplug the drives, plug them back in after making other connections for switches , fans etc. I lost nothing at all, used the same HD etc. No copying or moving files at all.

Gunthr · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2002, 02:30:47 PM »

LePaul, Get a nice, new mobo and start over with a fresh install of Win2k! Don't even think about it.

We're like sharks in the techno environment. We gotta swim forward, or die.

The good news is, its easy!

airspro · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2002, 05:32:42 PM »

I bought a USB cd burner just before I got new pc .

Plus after talkiing to reaper about the voodo v5500 you be a handsomehunk to go with another v card till it really gets out dated .

Are u that poor ?

rounder · « **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2002, 08:49:25 PM »

You could get away with a mobo change with any flavor of win98 including ME and even NT workstation proir to sp3, never tried it under NT server but I imagine that it would not work as NOS's load specific drivers for mobo hardware. Best bet is to back up your data and do a fresh install. Don' forget to back up your bookmarks as people often forget to back these up and they lose them.

bloom25 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 28, 2002, 09:22:54 PM »

Windows 98 will let you get away with it, though it is definately better to start over from scratch for stability and speed reasons.

The problem is that win2k and xp will not allow you to make some system device changes without reinstalling. Changing the MB is one of those things.

It is also important to mention here (especially for the one person who switched MBs and went to an Athlon XP from a classic Athlon) without reinstalling) that unless you reinstall windows you will be unable to take advantage of extra instructions supported by the new processor. Since the Athlon XP supports SSE, but the old Athlon Tbird did not, without reinstalling windows you will not get the advantage of SSE instuctions. (The same would be true for a P2 user switching to a P3 or newer Celeron.)

mrsid2 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2002, 02:06:18 AM »

Lepaul, in my opinnion if your old motherboard bios read the cpu as 800mhz it will work with that speed.

This can be possible even if your motherboard doesnt officially support this if it supports the correct FSB speed for the new cpu.

What makes it possible is that the CPU multiplier is hard locked in the CPU and will force your hardware to use the multiplier even if it's not an option originally in the bios.

-Just a thought.. You might want to check your true cpu speed with the old board using some program like CPUID which you can get from http://www.hardocp.com

Hajo · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2002, 10:18:58 PM »

Bloom Thanks

I reinstalled windows 98SE upgrade and my video performance has increased. I was wondering why I only got a modest FR increase. By reinstalling win98se FR has increased greatly!

Thanks again

(I'm the person whom you eluded to in your post)